The 70s

In EDCS’s (Oikocredit) first decade, the organization faced difficulties as it tried to gather enough church investments to begin its operations.The idea of lending to organizations which helped the poor gradually gained support, and by the end of the decade, EDCS had invested in its first projects: one in India, and one in Ecuador. Oikocredit still operates in both countries today.

At a meeting in West Germany, the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee officially recommends the WCC to become a founding member of Ecumenical Development Cooperative Society (EDCS), today known as Oikocredit. More